1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods of pumping intravenous (IV) fluids, and, in particular, relates to IV pumps adapted to use tubing having an unknown diameter and/or insufficient recovery of the uncompressed shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
Infusion pumps have become commonplace within the healthcare world as a way to precisely administer intravenous (IV) fluids. Use of a pump in place of a simple roller clamp with an elevated fluid container to control the flow of the IV fluid allows more accurate and consistent control of the rate of delivery of the fluid to a patient.
The assembly of drip chamber, tubing, valves, fittings, and Luer fittings that connect the fluid container to the patient may be referred to as an “IV set.” IV sets designed for use with IV pumps may have a pumping segment or chamber incorporated into the set, wherein the pumping segment fits into a compartment in the IV pump, as shown in FIG. 1. In use, medical fluid passes from the IV fluid container 14 through the tubing of IV set 18 to a infusion needle inserted in the arm of patient 10. The IV set 18 passes through a pumping module 20 of IV pump 12 that contains actuators (not shown) that act upon the pumping segment under the control of control unit 16 to force the medical fluid to flow to the patient 10 at a specified rate.
One of the factors that affect the accuracy of the pumping rate of a peristaltic IV pump is the inside diameter of the tubing of the IV set. A second factor is the material of the tubing, wherein the tubing must fully recover its uncompressed shape between compressions so that the tube refills to the maximum volume. Precision IV sets having tubing made from a highly resilient material and with precise control of the inside diameter may be both expensive and, in some areas, difficult to obtain. There is, therefore, a desire for IV pumps to be able to use “generic” tubing, i.e. tubing that does not have precision control of the inner and/or outer diameter or may be made of a material that takes a compression “set” and does not fully return to the uncompressed shape.